BACKGROUND Our recent studies have highlighted the importance and safety of backtable venoplasty for middle hepatic vein (MHV) and inferior right hepatic veins (IRHV) reconstruction using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) vascular grafts. In this study, we aim to analyze the complications associated with ePTFE graft use and discuss the management of the rare, but, potentially life threat...

Healing baboon polytetrafluoroethylene grafts express PDGF mRNA in the neointima. Perfusates of graft segments also contain PDGF-like mitogenic activity. To extend these findings, we studied the expression and regional distribution of the PDGF protein isoforms and their receptors in this prosthetic graft model. By immunohistochemistry, as well as ELISA and Western blot analysis of tissue extrac...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of hepatectomy with inferior vena cava or hepatic vein resection, followed by vessel reconstruction with an artificial vascular graft. METHODS From 2000 to 2011, 1,434 patients underwent several types of hepatectomy at our institution. Of these, we reviewed the cases of eight patients (0.56%) who underwent hepatectomy with infer...

BACKGROUND Hemodialysis vascular access dysfunction is the single most important cause of morbidity in kidney hemodialysis patients. Failure of an arteriovenous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) graft, the most common form of hemodialysis access, is primarily due to intimal hyperplasia and thrombosis at the venous anastomosis. METHODS AND RESULTS This study was aimed at evaluating the efficacy a...

BACKGROUND Insufficient venous vasculature disallows autologous arteriovenous fistula creation. In this case an arteriovenous conduit of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) interponed between artery and vein is used for hemodialysis. Although arteriovenous graft infection is an infrequent complication, infected grafts cannot be used for hemodialysis and can cause infection, sepsis and blee...

BACKGROUND The migration and proliferation of myofibroblasts are prominent features of myointimal hyperplasia associated with haemodialysis polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts. Since C-reactive protein (CRP) possesses functional activities on vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), we examined the expression of this protein in PTFE grafts early in the course of myointimal hyperplasia development...

From in vitro experiments it is known that human endothelial cells show poor adhesion to hydrophobic polymers. The hydrophobicity of vascular prostheses manufactured from Teflon or Dacron may be the reason why endothelialization of these grafts does not occur after implantation in humans. We modified films of polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) by nitrogen plasma and oxygen plasma treatments to ma...

To test the alternative possible locations for the placement of a liver graft and the relevant surgical technique issues, we developed a porcine model of auxiliary partial heterotopic liver transplantation (APHLT) and evaluated the difference between 2 styles of liver transplantation, either subhepatic fossa or splenic fossa APHLT, by comparing survival and biochemical indexes. Thirty-eight min...